Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Happy Father's Day!

When it comes to paintings, the example of
what a father should be, the one that most appeals to me, is The
Prodigal Son. The subject comes to us from the Bible (Luke 15:11- 32.)
One of my favorite paintings of the prodigal is at the Timken Gallery in
Balboa Park in San Diego, California.

The artwork titled The Return of the Prodigal Son
by Il Guercino is an oil on canvas painted in the mid 17th century. It
is a relatively large painting at 61-l/4 x 57-1/2 inches. When I look
at the painting I immediately think of an opera. There are three
figures standing on a stage like environment dressed in biblical time
attire. An older man stands in the middle of two young men, one dressed
in fine clothing pulling back a curtain that will lead to a homecoming
feast, the other (the prodigal) barely dressed with only a cloth and
animal skins to hide his nakedness. Each of the three figures has a
story to tell the viewer.

Since it is Father’s Day, let’s take a
look a closer look at the patriarch of this family. It all begins when
his son gets an idea that he should have his inheritance sooner than
later. Why not have the money now! The father allows him to take the
money. He allows him to make his own decisions and mistakes. Sadly,
the son ends up going to a foreign country and mismanaging his
money-spending it on all the wrong things. The son ends up without
food, clothing, or a decent place to live. Actually, he ends up living
with the pigs. Not a good place for a Jewish boy.

But the
thoughtful boy gets a bright idea. He knows his father is a kind and
merciful man and that his servants have a better life than he does. The
son may be ashamed of what has happened to him but isn’t afraid of the
older man. He knows he can count on him. He reasons he can come home
and won’t be turned away. So, he does go home and what happens to him?
Does the father beat him for being so stupid? Does he cast him out?
No, we see that he forgives him. In this artist rendition the father
lovingly cradles him with a special garment, he guides him with his
strong arms toward the celebration. The father is thankful that his son
who had been lost is now found. He is safe in his father’s care again.

Of course, the lesson of the story is the love of God for his own
children. We can be forgiven and return to the comfort of the ultimate
Father. We can start over again. But, what about the other figure? Is
he the son who stayed, or the servant? What do you think?